Part 16 (2/2)
”In any case it is a wonderful running aground,” replied the boatswain ”Instead of a good solid bottoht, Hurliguerly, in saying it is an unfortunate adventure”
”Unfortunate, truly, but in ?”
”That it is not permitted to us to venture so farin these latitudes, and I believe that the Creator forbids His creatures to cli that the summit of one pole is only sixty , but tilese sixtythem! And if the launch of the schooner is not successful, here are we condemned to winter quarters which the polar bears themselves would hardly relish!+”
I replied only by a shake of uerly could not fail to understand
”Do you know, Mr Jeorling, of what I think oftenest?”
”What do you think of, boatswain?”
”Of the Kerguelens, whither we are certainly not travelling Truly, in a bad season it was cold enough there!l There is not o and the islands situated on the edge of the Antarctic Sea! But there one is not far fro bars the way Whereas here it is the devil to weigh anchor, and one never knows if one shall find a clear course”
”I repeat it, boatswain If this last accident had not occurred, everything would have been over by this time, one way or another We should still have had et out of these southern seas It is seldohly treated as ours has been, and I consider it real bad luck, after our having profited by such fortunate circumstances--”
”These circuuerly, ”and I fear indeed--”
”What--you also, boatswain--you whom I believed to be so confident!”
”Confidence, Mr Jeorling, wears out like the ends of one's trousers, What would you have me do? When I compare my lot to old Atkins, installed in his cosy inn; when I think of the Green Cor parlours downstairs with the little tables round which friends sip whisky and gin, discussing the news of the day, while the stove makes more noise than the weathercock on the roof--oh, then the comparison is not in our favour, and in my opinion Mr Atkins enjoys life better than I do”
”You shall see theuelen! For God's sake do not let yourself gronhearted! And if you, a sensible and courageous man, despair already--”
”Oh, if I were the only one it would not be half so bad as it is!”
”The whole crew does not despair, surely?”
”Yes--and no,” replied Hurliguerly, ”for I know soun hishis co, and since I have kept hi Besides, he knohat awaits hi has changed his tactics But what does not astonish me in him, astonishes me in Martin Holt”
”What do you ood terms with each other See how Hearne seeks out Martin Holt, talks to him frequently, and Holt does not treat his overtures unfavourably”
”Martin Holt is not one of those ould listen to Hearne's advice, or follow it if he tried to provoke rebellion a However, I don't fancy seeing theerous and unscrupulous individual, and most likely Martin Holt does not distrust hi, boatswain”
”And--wait aabout the other day when I overheard a few scraps of their conversation?”
”I could not possibly guess until you tellon the bridge of the Halbrane, I heard the: 'You e to the half-breed, Master Holt, because he refused to respond to your advances and accept your thanks! If he be only a sort of brute, he possesses plenty of courage, and has showed it in getting you out of a bad corner at the risk of his life And besides, do not forget that he formed part of the crew of the Grampus and your brother Ned, if I don't mistake--'”
”He said that, boatswain; he spoke of the Grampus!” I exclaimed
”Yes--of the Gra!”
”And what answer did Martin Holt make?”
”He replied: 'I don't even know under what circu a revolt on board? Brave man that he was, he would not betray his captain, and perhaps he was massacred”
”Did Hearne dwell on this, boatswain?”
”Yes, but he added: 'It is very sad for you, Master Holt! The captain of the Gra placed in a small boat with one or two of hiswith hi, he added: 'Did it never occur to you to ask Dirk Peters to enlighten you on the subject?' 'Yes, once,' replied Martin Holt, 'I questioned the halfbreed about it, and never did I see a man so overcome' He replied in so low a voice that I could scarcely understand him, 'I know not--I know not--' and he ran aith his face buried in his hands”
”Was that all you heard of the conversation, boatswain?”
”That was all, Mr Jeorling, and I thought it so strange that I wished to inform you of it”
”And what conclusion did you draw fro-master as a scoundrel of the deepest dye, perfectly capable of working in secret for some evil purpose hich he would like to associate Martin Holt!”
What did Hearne's new attitude ain Martin Holt, one of the best of the crew, as an ally? Why did he recall the scenes of the Grampus? Did Hearne know more of this matter of Dirk Peters and Ned Holt than the others; this secret of which the half-breed and I believed ourselves to be the sole possessors?
The doubt caused ood care not to say anything of it to Dirk Peters If he had for a moment suspected that Hearne spoke of what happened on board the Grauerly called him, and not without reason) constantly talked to Martin Holt about his brother, I really do not knoould have happened
In short, whatever the intentions of Hearne -ht to be able to count, was in conspiracy with hi ine Although the crew seeilt of mutiny, a strict watch was kept, especially on Hearne
Besides, the situation e, at least so far as the schooner was concerned Two days afterwards the as finished The caulking operations were co the vessel to the base of our floating mountain
Just now the upper portion of the ice had been slightly softened, so that this last work did not entail much labour for pick-axe or spade The course ran obliquely round the west side of the berg, so that the incline should not be too great at any point With cables properly fixed, the launch, it seeht be effected without anyof the ice should
Needless to say, the cargo, , anchors, chains, &c, had not been put on board The hull was quite heavy enough, and not easily hten it as ain in its ele could be effected in a few days
On the afternoon of the 28th, the finishi+ng touches were given It was necessary to put supports for the sides of the slide in some places where the ice had melted quickly Then everyone was allowed to rest from 4 o'clock pm The captain had double rations served out to all hands, and well they merited this extra supply of spirits; they had indeed worked hard during the week I repeat that every sign ofexcept this great operation of the launching The Halbrane in the sea would mean departure, it would also mean return! For Dirk Peters and me it would be the definite abandonht the tehest we had so far experienced The therh the sun was nearing the horizon, the ice was , and thousands of small streams flowed in every direction The early birds awoke at four o'clock, and I was one of their number I had scarcely slept, and I fancy that Dirk Peters did not sleepto turn back!
The launch was to take place at ten o'clock Taking every possible difficulty into account, and allowing for the minutest precautions, the captain hoped that it would be completed before the close of the day Everyone believed that by evening the schooner would be at the foot of the berg
Of course we had all to lend a hand to this difficult task To each ned; so ooden rollers, if necessary; others to reat, by means of hawsers and cables